Shout! Factory continues to release some gorgeous looking 4K discs,
and their latest release, Wonders of the Arctic, is no
exception. Originally intended for IMAX theaters, this nature
documentary takes viewers to the frozen north to the land of Inuit
Indians, polar bears, whales, and lots and lots of snow.

This documentary looks at a few different aspect of life north of
the Arctic Circle, an area where the warm (relatively speaking)
weather last weeks rather than months and where the seas ice over
every winter. They start with a research scientist who is studying
the effects of global warming on the area and who is teaming up with
natives to learn the way they 'read' the snow. One of the locals, an
aged elder who was born in a seal skin tent, can tell where open
water is up to 60 miles away by looking for light from the sea
reflected in the clouds.

They also talk to scientists who are studying whales. These
dedicated researchers take blubber samples from the giant beasts by
zipping up to them in very small motor boats when they surface for
air and shooting them with special crossbow bolts. It looks
dangerous and very cold. The filmmakers take viewers beneath
the wave too with amazing footage of large, blind sharks that
inhabit the frigid water under the ice as well as the unusual
narwhal that has a single long horn (actually an elongated tooth)
sticking from its head.

Of course no Arctic documentary would be complete without a mention
of polar bears, and this one has its share of the furry beasts. They
interview a safety officer who is in charge of making sure the bears
don't enter into town. He has quite a job, and they illustrate how
they tranquilize and relocate bears who wander in looking for a
meal. There's also a cute scene of Halloween in a local city, where
the only rule is no polar bear costumes.

With just the right amount of narration by Victor Garber (DC's
Legends of Tomorrow, Alias) to let viewers know what they're seeing
and putting the visuals into context without disrupting the amazing
images that are playing out on the screen. And that's the main
attraction to this documentary: a beautiful, Ultra High Definition
look at the beautiful frozen places of our planet. The visuals are
stunning and engrossing and that's the reason you should pick up a
copy of this set.

The Blu-ray:

Shout! Factory has done a great job with this combo set, it has all:
4K, 3D Blu-ray, and Blu-ray on two discs (the 3D and 2D versions of
the film share the same disc).

Video:

The 1.78:1 image is quite impressive across all three formats. It's
not surprising that the 4K disc looks the best, but an added bonus
is that Shout allows viewers the option of either HDR or SDR while
watching the UDH disc. This is great for early adopters of 4K sets,
as some of those do not have HDR capabilities. The 4K disc was quite
impressive, with an astonishing amount of detail and exceptional
colors. The whites (and there is a lot of white) are never crushed
and the wispy snow blowing across an ice-covered sea is clean and
sharp. The only area that is lacking a bit is the underwater scenes
beneath the ice. Those shot are darker and there is a bit of
banding, but it's a result of the lack of light more than a problem
with the sorce material. Over all this is a very nice looking set.

Audio:

This documentary arrives with a Dolby Atmos (core Dolby TrueHD 7.1)
soundtrack. Given the nature of the movie, the mix is not a dynamic
in-your-face, window-rattling, blast of sound. It's a more laid back
track, with mainly dialog coming from the front and some nicely
placed, quite sound effects that emerge from the rest of the room.
This is an appropriate soundtrack, as anything more would overwhelm
the visuals and distract from the movie itself.

Extras:

There isn't much in the way of extras here. There is a short
corporate video from Fednac, a shipping company that has ships that
travel in the arctic, but that's about it aside from trailers for
other 4K IMAX films that Shout! has released.

Final Thoughts:

Filled with awe-inspiring visuals and some interesting stories, this
is another great UHD release from Shout! Factory. An enjoyable look
at the wilderness up north, and the people and animals who call it
home, this documentary is well worth seeking out. Recommended.